Northwestern Glass Fab
Northwestern Glass Fab, founded in 1912 and based in Fridley, Minnesota, is a custom glass fabricator serving glass dealers, glazing contractors, commercial interiors, and industrial manufacturers across greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin with flat glass, insulated units, and architectural glass products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1912
- HeadquartersAnoka, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Northwestern Glass Fab does
Northwestern Glass Fab (NWGF) is a custom and architectural glass fabrication company headquartered at 5301 Industrial Blvd NE, Fridley, Minnesota, operating as a division of Brin Glass Company within the Brin Family of Companies (alongside St. Germain's Glass in Duluth and Heartland Glass in Waite Park). Founded in 1912, the company produces flat glass, insulated glass units (IGUs), safety and fire-rated glass, shower doors and walls, mirrors, pattern glass, storefront and aluminum products, and interior glass systems for commercial interiors, with adjacent offerings including glass marker boards, tabletops, frameless railings, electric door strikes, industrial observation windows, and Low-E coated glass.
The company's fabrication capability is built on CNC machines, water jet cutting, automated cutting tables, shape polishing equipment, and CAD/CAM digitizing for custom shapes, supported by an A+W ERP system with barcode scanning and production scheduling that has driven on-time-in-full shipping to 97-98%. Daily capacity includes approximately 165 insulated glass units, of which 65-75% carry Low-E coatings sourced from Pilkington, Cardinal, and AGC. The company holds SGCC and IGCC certifications required for safety and insulated glass on commercial projects.
NWGF sells on a quote-based, project-by-project basis with no public list pricing, operating a direct sales and field-sales motion targeted at glass dealers, commercial interior professionals, glazing contractors, and industrial manufacturers across greater Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and the Twin Cities Metro. Distribution is direct from the Fridley facility with a will-call pickup option, and the customer portal (orders.nwglassfab.com) supports ordering and order management. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, M&A, or public financial reporting, and employs between 51 and 100 people.
Northwestern Glass Fab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Northwestern Glass Fab
- Legal name
- Northwestern Glass Fab
- Website
- https://nwglassfab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1912
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Northwestern Glass Fab, founded in 1912 and based in Fridley, Minnesota, is a custom glass fabricator serving glass dealers, glazing contractors, commercial interiors, and industrial manufacturers across greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin with flat glass, insulated units, and architectural glass products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Northwestern Glass Fab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Glass Fabrication
- NAICS
- Glass Product Manufacturing Made of Purchased Glass (327215)
- SIC
- Glass Products, Made Of Purchased Glass (3231)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fire-Rated Glass & Glazing Assemblies (IMADAHAH)
Keywords
Where Northwestern Glass Fab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Anoka
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Northwestern Glass Fab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Custom Glass Fabrication: Project-based fabrication of custom glass products including insulated glass units, tempered glass, mirrors, shower doors, and architectural glass for commercial interior projects. Revenue generated through custom orders with pricing based on specifications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Custom fabrication quotes based on project specifications |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Northwestern Glass Fab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Northwestern Glass Fab is a custom and architectural glass fabricator operating as a full-service glass dealer for commercial interior projects. The company fabricates flat glass, insulated glass units, mirrors, shower doors and walls, safety and fire-rated glass, storefronts, interior glass walls, and related aluminum and specialty glass products. It supports glass dealers, glazing contractors, interior designers, commercial furniture dealers, and manufacturers across greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
Product overview
Northwestern Glass Fab is a custom glass fabrication company serving the upper Midwest since 1912, providing specialty glass and aluminum products for commercial interior projects. The company operates as a full-service glass dealer offering flat glass fabrication as its core capability, supported by complementary products including insulated glass units, safety and fire-rated glass, shower glass doors and walls, mirrors, storefront and aluminum fabrication, interior glass walls, glass marker boards, industrial observation windows, frameless glass railing systems, electric door strikes, and Low-E glass coatings. Services include cutting, tempering, grinding, drilling, laminating, insulating, edge polishing, bending, water jet cutting, sandblasting, and CAD/digitizing for custom shapes. The company serves glass dealers, glazing contractors, commercial interiors professionals, and manufacturers across Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Flat Glass Fabrication Custom flat glass fabrication services including cutting, tempering, drilling, laminating, and edge polishing using automated cutting tables, water jet cutters, and CNC machines for commercial interior customers.
- Insulated Glass Units Custom dual-sealed insulated glass units (IGUs) with primary polyisobutylene seal and secondary silicone or polyurethane seal, meeting IGCC standards; roughly 165 units per day with 65-75% featuring Low-E coatings.
- Safety & Fire Rated Glass Fire-rated glass products including wired glass and glass ceramic options tested to withstand high temperatures and thermal impact for fire safety applications; SGCC certified.
- Shower Glass Doors & Walls Custom shower glass doors and walls available in frameless and framed options, with various glass types (clear, frosted, low-iron, colored, rain glass) and hardware finishes.
- Mirrors Custom fabricated mirrors with various edge polishing options including pencil polish, flat polish, beveled, and mitered edges.
- Pattern Glass Patterned glass products for decorative and functional applications in residential and commercial settings.
- Storefront & Aluminum Fabrication Custom architectural aluminum storefront products including frames with anodized aluminum and powder coating options, plus electric door strikes for access control.
- Interior Glass Interior glass products including glass walls, demountable wall systems, glass partitions, and glass entrances for commercial office spaces.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97-98% on-time shipping rate achieved through A+W software implementation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Northwestern Glass Fab
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Northwestern Glass Fab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Northwestern Glass Fab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Brin Glass CompanycoreParent company of Northwestern Glass Fab. Part of the Brin Family of Companies providing integrated glass fabrication and distribution services across Minnesota.
- A+WcoreSoftware solutions provider for production management including barcode scanning, product visualization, and production scheduling. Implementation improved OTIF metrics to 97-98% on-time shipping.
- PilkingtoncoreSupplier of Energy Advantage hard coat Low-E glass for insulated glass manufacturing. Provides thermal insulation and reduced heat loss products.
- Cardinal Glass IndustriescoreSupplier of Cardinal 272 soft coat Low-E glass for insulated units. Provides high-performance reflective coatings for energy efficiency.
- TubeliteminorDistribution partner for Tubelite architectural aluminum products including storefronts, entrance systems, and curtainwall components.
- St. Germain's GlassminorPart of Brin Family of Companies, located in Duluth, MN, serving the northeastern Minnesota market.
- Heartland GlassminorPart of Brin Family of Companies, located in Waite Park, MN, serving the central Minnesota market.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Northwestern Glass Fab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope: National building envelope solutions provider offering custom fabricated architectural glass, glazing systems, and storefront products. Competes with NW Glass Fab on larger commercial interior and storefront projects across the upper Midwest.
- Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions: National architectural glass and aluminum fabrication company producing storefronts, entrance systems, curtain walls, and custom fabricated glass. Direct competitor on commercial storefront and aluminum framing work that NW Glass Fab performs.
- Vitro Architectural Glass: One of North America's largest architectural glass manufacturers, supplying coated float glass (Sungate, Solarban), laminated, and insulated products. Competes indirectly via glass dealer channels and directly on large commercial projects in the Midwest.
- Viracon: Large-scale architectural glass fabricator based in Owatonna, MN, producing high-performance IGUs, laminated glass, and coated architectural products. A Minnesota-based competitor with substantially larger scale that competes for the same commercial interior and curtain wall projects NW Glass Fab bids on.
- Walters & Wolf Precast: West Coast-headquartered glass, glazing, and architectural metals contractor with regional fabrication. Comparable in offering custom curtain walls, storefronts, and architectural glass for commercial projects across multiple geographies.
Emerging players
- Glasswerks: Mid-sized architectural glass fabricator and distributor offering custom fabricated glass, mirrors, shower enclosures, and decorative products. Comparable business model to NW Glass Fab with custom fabrication focus and similar dealer/distributor GTM.
- C.R. Laurence (CRL): Major supplier of architectural hardware, glazing materials, and fabricated glass components for commercial construction. Comparable as a supplier of glass fabrication materials and architectural aluminum products used by glazing contractors in NW Glass Fab's market.
Direct peers
- St. Germain's Glass: Sister company within the Brin Family of Companies based in Duluth, MN. Performs custom glass fabrication, mirrors, shower enclosures, and commercial glass distribution serving northeastern Minnesota under the same Brin ownership umbrella.
- Brin Glass Company: Parent company and sister entity within the Brin Family of Companies. Operates as a full-service glass fabrication and distribution operation in Minneapolis, MN, with overlapping product lines (flat glass, IGUs, fire-rated, mirrors, shower enclosures) and shared Brin family ownership and customer base.
- Heartland Glass: Sister company within the Brin Family of Companies located in Waite Park, MN. Provides custom glass fabrication, insulated glass units, and commercial glass distribution serving central Minnesota, with identical product offerings and customer mix.
Market position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Northwestern Glass Fab social profiles
Digital presenceNorthwestern Glass Fab compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Northwestern Glass Fab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Northwestern Glass Fab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Northwestern Glass Fab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Northwestern Glass Fab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Northwestern Glass Fab
What does Northwestern Glass Fab do?
Northwestern Glass Fab is a custom and architectural glass fabricator operating as a full-service glass dealer for commercial interior projects. The company fabricates flat glass, insulated glass units, mirrors, shower doors and walls, safety and fire-rated glass, storefronts, interior glass walls, and related aluminum and specialty glass products. It supports glass dealers, glazing contractors, interior designers, commercial furniture dealers, and manufacturers across greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
Is Northwestern Glass Fab a public or private company?
Northwestern Glass Fab is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Northwestern Glass Fab founded?
Northwestern Glass Fab was founded in 1912. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Northwestern Glass Fab based?
Northwestern Glass Fab is headquartered in Anoka, United States, in the North America region.
How does Northwestern Glass Fab make money?
One revenue line is on record: custom Glass Fabrication.
Who are Northwestern Glass Fab's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope, Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions, Vitro Architectural Glass, Viracon and Walters & Wolf Precast. Emerging players are Glasswerks and C.R. Laurence (CRL). Direct peers are St. Germain's Glass, Brin Glass Company and Heartland Glass.
Does Northwestern Glass Fab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Northwestern Glass Fab.
What industry is Northwestern Glass Fab in?
Northwestern Glass Fab's product category is Custom Glass Fabrication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADAHAH, Fire-Rated Glass & Glazing Assemblies. Its NAICS code is 327215 and its SIC code is 3231.